The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is one of four ligaments important to the stability of the knee joint. The PCL prevents the tibia from sliding too far backwards. Along with the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) which keeps the tibia from sliding too far forward, the PCL helps to maintain the tibia in position below the femur.
Surgical reconstruction of the PCL is usually recommended only for grade III PCL tears because of the overall technical difficulty of the surgery. Surgical PCL reconstruction is difficult in part because of the position of the PCL in the knee. Trying to place a new PCL graft in this position is challenging and, over time, the replacement PCL graft is notorious for stretching out and becoming less functional.
Adjustable suture-button constructs and associated techniques for fixation of a tendon or ligament, such as an ACL, are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0256677 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0268273, the disclosures of both of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. It would be desirable to provide similar adjustable suture-button constructs that can be used for PCL reconstruction, as well as for reconstruction of the ACL or collateral ligaments.